Sweet potato, lime companies among PACA violators

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has imposed sanctions on four companies for Perishable Agricultural Commodity Act violations.

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The U.S. Department of Agriculture has imposed sanctions on four companies for Perishable Agricultural Commodity Act violations.

The companies, according to a news release, are:

  • Wayne Bailey Produce Co. LLC, Chadbourn, N.C., for not paying $56,400 to a North Carolina seller. Alice Wooten was listed as a member or manager of the business, but she is challenging her status as “responsibly connected.”
  • Star Gold Produce Corp., Los Angeles, for not paying $201,035 to an Arizona seller. Alicia Palacios was listed as the officer, director and/or major stockholder of the business.
  • Champions Produce LLC, Spring, Texas, for failing to pay $192,274 to a Florida seller. Christopher Petro and Michael Petro were listed as members or managers of the business.
  • RR & Tequila Limes LLC, McAllen, Texas, for failing to pay $11,600 to a Texas seller. Victor Rivera was listed a member or manager of the business.

The sanctions include suspending the PACA licenses of the companies, and barring the principal officers from “engaging in PACA-licenses business or other activities without approval from the USDA,” according to the release.

Related stories:

Wayne Bailey Produce named in $8.1 million PACA complaint

PACA: Southern Produce Distributors owes $3.49 million

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